Tg Harapan boat capsizing: Victims likely drifted away - Fire Dept

The Fire and Rescue Department has not ruled out the possibility that two missing victims of a boat that capsized in the waters off Tanjung Harapan, Selangor, yesterday were swept away by currents.

This could have occurred while the boat was being towed to the floating jetty of the Selangor Maritime Headquarters in Klang.

Port Klang Fire and Rescue Department head Haikal Jammy Ngali said from initial investigations, the boat the victims were on was towed by a public boat for 0.3 nautical miles.

A distress call was received regarding the incident at around 5pm.

He said the department also did not rule out the possibility that the victims, who were a married couple, were thrown overboard when the boat capsized.

“Although the sunken boat was successfully refloated, the two victims being sought were not inside the boat, thus strengthening the Fire Department’s theory that the two victims drifted away with the current.

“So far, the rescue team has only carried out surface search-level as opposed to deep diving because the Fire Department has not been able to ascertain the exact location of the capsizing,” Haikal said.

He was speaking at a press conference, which was also attended by North Klang police chief S Vijaya Rao, at the search location in Tanjung Harapan yesterday.

Bodies claimed after post-mortem

Vijaya said the police have not found any clues regarding the two missing victims, even though the search radius covered an area of five nautical miles.

Regarding the refloated boat, he said it would be taken to the Port Klang Marine Police base for further inspection, including on technical aspects.

“In addition, we would also like to inform that the bodies of three victims, including a three-year-old child who died in the incident, have been claimed by their family after the post-mortem was completed at the Shah Alam Hospital,” he said.

Vijaya also said the search and rescue operation was suspended at 7pm and will resume this morning.

In the capsizing of the boat with six on board at about 5pm yesterday, three individuals, including a child, died, while one survivor, Alvin Chang Yan Qin, 17, was rescued, and the married couple is still missing.

The deceased victims were Darren Gan, 3; Cheu Son Hin, 50; and Fong Yong Sen, 29, while the missing were identified as Gan Hon Tat, 32, and his wife Careen Man, 29, both from Klang Utama.

- Bernama

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